2229 XXX Report Title Prepared by TACP for Job Number XXX Client Name -1- Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study Prepared by TACP for 2229 Cadwyn Clwyd Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study Cadwyn Clwyd OUR PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE HERITAGE LOTTERY BID – HABITAT STUDY May 2017 TACP 10 PARK GROVE CARDIFF CF10 3BN Project Number: 2229 Revision: Rev 1 Revision No. Date of Revision Written by Approved by Date 0 15.03.2017 JH PMcC 17.03.2017 1 10.05.2017 JH PMcC 10.05.2017 Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study Prepared by TACP for 2229 Cadwyn Clwyd Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study Prepared by TACP for 2229 Cadwyn Clwyd Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE OUR PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE PROJECT AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY (AONB) AND THE HERITAGE LOTTERY BID ................................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES OF THE HABITAT STUDY........................................................................................ 4 1.3 FFRIDD – A PROPOSED NEW PRIORITY HABITAT FOR WALES .............................................................................. 5 2 METHODS ................................................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 MAPPING OF KEY HABITATS ......................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Use of Existing Habitat Data ............................................................................................................. 6 2.1.2 Ffridd Mapping ................................................................................................................................. 6 2.1.3 Hedgerow Mapping .......................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 IDENTIFYING AREAS OF WEAKNESS IN TERMS OF CONNECTIVITY .......................................................................... 8 2.3 DEVELOPING PILOT HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND KEY PROJECTS FOR THE LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION ACTION PLAN 9 3 DESCRIPTION OF KEY HABITATS WITHIN THE STUDY AREA .................................................................... 10 3.1 FFRIDD ................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.1.1 Ffridd Distribution and Total Area .................................................................................................. 11 3.1.2 Vegetation Composition ................................................................................................................. 11 3.1.3 Condition and Management ........................................................................................................... 12 3.2 CALCAREOUS (LIMESTONE) GRASSLAND ....................................................................................................... 13 3.2.1 Distribution and Total Area ............................................................................................................. 13 3.2.2 Vegetation Composition and Condition .......................................................................................... 13 3.2.3 Current Management ..................................................................................................................... 14 3.3 HEATHLAND ............................................................................................................................................ 14 3.3.1 Heathland Distribution and Total Area ........................................................................................... 15 3.3.2 Vegetation Composition ................................................................................................................. 15 3.3.3 Condition and Current Management .............................................................................................. 15 3.4 WOODLAND ............................................................................................................................................ 16 3.4.1 Woodland Distribution and Total Area ........................................................................................... 16 3.4.2 Woodland Composition .................................................................................................................. 16 3.4.3 Condition and Management ........................................................................................................... 17 3.5 HEDGEROWS ........................................................................................................................................... 17 3.5.1 Hedgerow Distribution within the Study Area ................................................................................ 18 3.5.2 Hedgerow Composition ................................................................................................................... 18 3.5.3 Condition and Management ........................................................................................................... 18 3.6 WATERCOURSES WITHIN THE STUDY AREA .................................................................................................... 19 3.6.1 Watercourse Distribution within the Study Area ............................................................................ 19 3.6.2 Description ...................................................................................................................................... 19 3.6.3 Current Condition and Management .............................................................................................. 20 3.6.4 Dee Invasive Non-Native Species Project ........................................................................................ 21 4 ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY OF KEY HABITATS WITHIN THE STUDY AREA ............................................. 22 4.1 FFRIDD ................................................................................................................................................... 22 4.2 CALCAREOUS GRASSLAND .......................................................................................................................... 22 Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study Prepared by TACP for 2229 Cadwyn Clwyd -i- Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study 4.3 HEATHLAND ............................................................................................................................................ 23 4.4 WOODLAND AND HEDGEROW NETWORK ..................................................................................................... 23 4.5 WATERCOURSES ...................................................................................................................................... 23 5 HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND PLANS ................................................................................... 24 6 TOTAL COST FOR DELIVERY ................................................................................................................... 39 7 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 39 8 FIGURES................................................................................................................................................. 40 FIGURES Figure 1.1 Our Picturesque Landscape Study Area Figure 3.1 Ffridd ‘Heat Map’ Figure 3.2 Distribution of Ffridd within the Study Area Figure 3.3 Calcareous Grassland Distribution within the Study Area Figure 3.4 Heathland Distribution within the Study Area Figure 3.5 Hedgerow Network within the Study Area Figure 3.6 Hedgerow Network within the Study Area Figure 3.7 Watercourse Distribution within the Study Area Figure 4.1 Gaps in Ecological Connectivity of Calcareous Grassland Figure 4.2 Heathland Connectivity within the Study Area Figure 4.3 Woodland Connectivity within the Study Area Figure 4.4 Woodland Connectivity with Hedgerow Network within the Study Area Figure 4.5 Opportunities for Improving Watercourse Connectivity TABLES Table 2.1. Phase 1 habitats which occur as components of ffridd within the study area (as agreed with Our Picturesque Landscape project partners) 7 Table 7.1. Ffridd Enhancement Plan 24 Table 7.2. Calcareous Grassland Enhancement Plan 28 Table 7.3. Heathland Enhancement Plan 31 Table 7.4. Woodland Enhancement Plan 34 Table 7.5. Watercourse Enhancement Plan 36 Table 8.1. Total Cost for Delivery of Habitat Improvement Projects 39 APPENDICES Appendix A Definitions of Ffridd Habitat (from the Wales Biodiversity Partnership) Appendix B Habitat Map and Full List of Habitats within the Study Area Appendix C Ffridd Habitat Maps Appendix D Heathland Improvement Areas Appendix E Woodland Enhancement Areas Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat Study Prepared by TACP for 2229 Cadwyn Clwyd -ii- Our Picturesque Landscape Heritage Lottery Bid – Habitat